Accessories (5/5) -Single-flange silicone tips (3 sizes), Comply foam tips (2 sets), cleaning tool, inline volume attenuator, 1/4″ adapter, and crushproof metal carrying caseBuild Quality (4/5) – Though the shape of SF5EB is more reminiscent of custom in-ears than any universal I’ve ever tried, overall build quality is still very similar to those of the SF5Pro and TF10. The large housings are made out of thick plastics and the cable is detachable. The cable suffers from some memory character but is flexible and sturdy on the wholeIsolation (3/5) – Slightly lower than that of the other UE models from the time period due to the odd housing shape and ambient ventMicrophonics (4.5/5) – Low due to over-the-ear fit but not absent completely. A bit poorer with the older (clear) cableComfort (3.5/5) – The housings of the SF5EB differ in shape from the ones used by the other UE earphones and are the largest shells I’ve seen on a universal. They aren’t meant to be inserted deeply and as a result never look like they are fitted quite right but the fit bothers me less than that of the TF10

Sound (8/10) – The unique housings of the SuperFi 5 EB conceal an equally unique transducer setup – the SF5EB was, to my knowledge, the first universal BA/dynamic hybrid to be released, combining a balanced armature, a 13.5mm dynamic driver, and a two-way passive crossover in a single enclosure. The dynamic driver is responsible for the bass of the SF5EB while the armature handles mids and highs. On paper, this is a dream come true for those familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of both transducer types, but there are one or two issues aside from the resulting housing size.

As indicated by the ‘Extended Bass’ moniker, the SF5EB was tuned to appeal to those who find the bass response of UE’s other higher-end models, which are all armature-based, less than satisfactory. The huge 13.5mm dynamic transducer of the SF5EB is optimized for low end response and throws out gobs of dynamic bass when prodded. Even the Fischer Audio Eterna cannot quite keep up with the sheer impact of the SF5EB. The bass is rarely muddy or bloated but it’s not tight or accurate either – about what one would expect from a relatively pricy basshead earphone. Bass detail and texture are swallowed up by the impact on occasion and therefore appear to be diminished compared to the Eterna and FS Atrios but on the whole the quality of the EB’s bass is rather good.

The overall response of the SF5EB is slightly v-shaped, with a dip in the lower midrange and slightly hyped-up lower treble. Expectedly, the SF5EB does a very good job of separating the bass from the mids – sometimes too good, in fact, making the low end seem poorly integrated on certain tracks. It ends up sounding like a mid-range armature-based earphone with a subwoofer tacked on for good measure. The bass can obscure the lower mids and the midrange is not as transparent or detailed as that of the TF10 but for such a bass-heavy set the clarity is impressive.

There is a bit of emphasis towards on the upper mids but nothing that would cause the SF5EB to be notably harsh or sibilant. The treble is not particularly heavy on sparkle but provides a very energetic sound in conjunction with the big bass. Extension is not stellar but good for a bass-centric earphone. The sense of space is quite good as well – the width and depth of the soundstage are similar to the SF5Pro and the positioning and layering are good. One thing worth noting is that the SF5EB is very efficient and sometimes hiss-prone. The dynamic driver also likes a touch of extra juice to tighten up while the mids and treble don’t seem to benefit much from amplification.

Value (7/10) – Plain and simple, the Ultimate Ears SuperFi 5 EB is a basshead’s dream come true. It offers tons of powerful, full-bodied, dynamic bass overlaying a competent midrange and treble presentation – an effect afforded mostly by the unique internal workings of the earphone. It’s difficult to judge the technical merit of something like the SF5EB since accuracy was obviously not a priority in its tuning but the earphone does accomplish what it set out to do, delivering an uncompromisingly powerful low end. The aesthetics and ergonomics of the EB definitely won’t be to everyone’s liking and the isolation is a step below that offered by the other high-end UE IEMs but as a total package the EB is a good earphone for the bass-obsessed and a reasonable ‘guilty pleasure’ for the rest of us.

About Author

Living in the fast-paced city of Los Angeles, ljokerl has been using portable audio gear to deal with lengthy commutes for the better part of a decade. He spends much of his time listening to music and occasionally writes portable audio reviews across several enthusiast sites, focusing mostly on in-ear earphones.

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6 Comments

Cleiton Silva on
May 3, 2014 8:16 pm

I have searched a replacement for my old SF 5EB, but still have not found a good answer. I have read a lot about the new hybrids, but not sure if they deliver the same or better in the bass which 5EB. I loved the quality and quantity of his low, which currently iem would be your replacement?

None of the newer hybrids I’ve tried have been as bassy as the SF5EB. None of the “basshead” earphones recommended in my buyer’s guide (http://theheadphonelist.com/earphone-buyers-guide/) have any armatures at all. The bassiest earphones I’ve tried since the 5EB were the TFTA 1V but they’ve been discontinued. The only thing that comes close is the HiSound Wooduo, which has lots and lots of subbass but less mid-bass than the SF5EB. I’ve been told that Sony’s XB90EX can compete with the Wooduo but I haven’t tried them myself.

That’s what I figured. Perfect. Your list would with modest prices, could you increase my budget to under $ 350. What do you say about the DN-1000? DN-200 ? GR07? Atrio MG7? T-POEOS T-H-100, H 200, H300? JVC FX700, FX850? Any of these or even other could replace them , With this new budget under $ 350 ?

I haven’t tried the H-200, H-300, and HA-FX850. Out of all the rest, only the MG7 and FX700 can hope to compete with the SF5EB in bass quantity. The MG7 has been discontinued but if you can find it I would recommend it over the FX700 – it has more bass, though still not as much as the UEs or the HiSound Wooduo 2 / Nuforce NE-600X.

There some other bass-heavy sets besides these but most of them suffer in other ways – the Meze 11 Deco and Paradigm Shift E3m, for example, have tons of bass but are seriously lacking in clarity. The RHA MA600 is another one that is pretty good overall and has lots of bass. Earphones in the $150+ range are rarely tuned with that much bass – it’s just a very popular sound with people willing to spend that much money, generally speaking.

Currently I have the Velodyne Vpulse, bought in an attempt to replace the 5EB SF, but it was not like I wanted, vPulse has a BOOM bass and even in quantity, but the 5EB SF had more quality and firm, was more punch more clearly, so I’m not here to be the same, I’ll bet on Wooduo 2 and Hippo VB http://theheadphonelist.com/headphone_review/hippo-vb/. I have read good reviews about them.

The vPulse is inexpensive and yes, a little sloppy. The Wooduo2 is better in this regard, but still not perfect. Its bass is mostly sub-bass, though it has good presence coming all the way up to around 100Hz. See here: http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/HiSoundAudioWooduo.pdf . This is what keeps the overall clarity up despite it being a single-driver earphone. If there was a higher-end earphone currently on the market with this much bass quantity and even better quality I would definitely recommend it over the Wooduo but unfortunately I haven’t come across one.

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